Mail-box.



PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905'.

4M. is. ai H. s. MILLS;

MAIL BOX. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 2s,

' UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

MORTIMER B. MILLS AND HERBERT S. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS TO MILLS SPECIAL DELIVERY MAIL BOX COMPANY, O CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

MAIL-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. "(80,803,v dated January 24, 19.05.

iippiicaiin iiied May 2s, i903. serial No. 158,384..

To a/ZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, MoETiiviEE B. MILLs and HERBERT S. MILLS, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Boxes, &c.', of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to coin controlled mail-boxes; and our primary object is to provide improved means of this character for controlling the closure device whereat the mail is inserted.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional view of a mail-box of the character shown in detail in our Patent N o. 775,630, dated November 22, 1904; Fig. 2, a broken sectional vView showing a detail of the coin-controlled mechanism with the parts in one position; Fig. 3, a similar view with the parts in another position; and Fig. 4, a broken sectional view showing the improved locking device which serves to secure the closure device, while permitting initial movement of the latter to enable the-unlocking operation to occur.

In the construction shown, A represents a casing or mail-box having a front side A', a rear side A2, and lateral sides A4, (one shown;) A5, a lower door whereat the mail may be removed; A, a top forthe mail-box connected with the rear upper portion of the box by pivots a2 (one shown) and constituting a movable upper closure device whereat the letters may be,v introduced; A7, an opening or cut-away portion atthe upper part of the front side of the box affording an opening whereat mail may be introduced when the cover is in the elevated position; C, a rockshaft extending parallel with the. front of the casing and suitably journaled at the ends of the casing; C, a cam-arm fixed to the shaft C and serving to lift the coverror closure de l an enlargement with which the front portion G, coin-controlled mechanism controlling the closing device AG and comprising a coin-actuated member'G, having a shaft journaled in suitable bearings f(one shown) and a coinactuating cylindrical hood G3, having end portions journaled on the shaftG2; G4, an actuating-arm formed integrally with the hood G3; G5, a link connecting the extremity of the arm Gf with a lug f on the inner surface of the front portion of the cover Af; G, a locking-pawl supported on a pivot g, projecting inwardly from the side A4L of the casing, said device having a hook or locking-shoulder g' at its upper extremity and a short arm g2 at its lower portion connected by a spring g3 with the plate Af; G7, a triangular member fixed on the shaft Gr2 and serving in the initiall engagement with the shoulder g of the locking device GG. The cover A isl equipped on its inner surface with a cam g, coacting with -thecam-arm C and having inclined surfaces q q2. -The stationary front'of the casing at its upper edge is bent inwardly at the opeiiing A7 and is provided thereat with a strengthening-rib Z3. To the inner surface of the door AF'iis connected a coin-receptacle m. The casing-front is provided with a short chute-section m, which receives the coin from the coinactuated member G and delivers it to the receptacle m.

The member G is shown provided with three non-radial coin-recesses t, which correspond with the three sides of the triangle G7. In any position of rest of the member G',

therefore, `a coin-recess is presented to a slot t, with which the casing-frontis provided. The cover A is provided with a slot t2, which registers with the slot t when the cover is in its depressed position. The member H rests normally upon the upper edge of the casing-front A, with its lower edge forming the upper wall of the slot t'. When the cover is raised, the slot t2 is moved upwardly with relation to the slot I. (the member H remaining stationary) and the insertion-passage is closed.

`Vhile forming no part of the present invention, it may be stated that the pawl C3 is supported ona pivot fu, projecting laterally from the lower end of ithe arm (f, and the upper end of the pawl is connected by a spring o with a stud@2 on said arm. The length of the portion of the pawl which is beneath the pivot o is a little greater than the distance bctween the teeth of the segment C4and thepivot, so that the pawl will lock the arm C2 against retrograde movement regardless ofthe direction of movement when the pawl is in engagement with the teeth of the rack; but the movement of the arm C2 may be freely reversed after the arm has completed its traverse. Any suitable device may be provided in connection with the rock-shaft C and its actuating means for closing the cover A. No such device is shown in the present drawings, however.

From the foregoing detailed description the operation will be readily understood. A person wishing 'to send a letter by special delivery, for instance, inserts the proper coin, usually a dime, at the slot 2. This couples the members G G' of the coin-controlled mechanism together. As shown in Figs. l and 4, there is in the position of rest, a space between the locking-lug Z2 of the cover A and the locking-shoulder g' of the device GG. This permits initial movement of the cover when the shaft C is turned (by the actuating' means not shown) to raise the cover. After inserting the dime the operator actuates the shaft C, which moves the cover A initially, turns the member G3 through the medium of the link G5, and thereby actuates the member G through the medium of the coin. This causes the triangular or star-shaped member G7 to rotate, thereby unlocking the device G and permitting the cover to rise the full distance. When the direction of rotation of the Shaft Eby Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a receptacle, a closure device, and coin-controlled locking means for the closure device comprising a coin-actuated member equipped with an angular member, a locking-pawl for the closure device engaged by said angular member, a coin-actuated member connected with and operated by the closure device and actuating means for the closure device.

2. In means of the character described, the combination of a receptacle, a swinging top constituting a closure device, and coin-controlled locking means for said top, comprising aspring-held locking-pawl, a coin-actuated member equipped with a pawl-engaging member having a plurality of sides. said coin-actuated member having also a plurality of coinrecesses corresponding with the sides of said pawl-engaging member, and a suitably-:mtuated coin-actuating member, for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, a receptacle, a swinging top pivoted to the rear upper portion thereof, a locking-shoulder carried by the front por tion of said top, a locking-pawl supported ou the receptacle having a shoulder for engaging said first-named shoulder and permitting initial movement of the top, coin-controlled releasing means for said locking-pani, including a rotatable coin-actuated member equipped with angular projections serving to actuate said loclingpawl, and a coin-actuating member and a link connecting the same with the front portion of said top.

MORTIMER B. MILLS. HERBERT S. Ml LIJS.

In presence of- VALTER N. VVINBERG, A. C. KIT'rLEsoN. 

